10 Pandemic Questions

Earlier this week,  I had to run some errands in Bellingham and something very exciting happened.  I went into three stores and I didn't wear a mask into any of them.  No mask people.  Exciting stuff.

It feels like maybe this pandemic crap is slowly starting to end and since this little blog is my scrapbook, there are some things I want to remember...maybe.  Maybe I don't want to remember any of it.  I found this 10 questions thing on a blog and thought I'd steal it and share my answers.  

1. What was life like in early 2020?

Life was just cruising along as usual.  COVID was something I heard about on the news that was happening far away in the world.  In March, John and I made our usual winter get-a-way to Arizona to visit my folks.  While we were there, I was texting with a teacher friend who said the school was making contingency plans for on-line learning if the virus got bad and kids had to stay home.  I think I kinda laughed at her and then got off the phone and told John that Lynden Christian administration must have too much time on their hands.  Once we came home, things did start getting a little weird but I still thought it would blow over quick.  I was working at the library on Friday, March 13 and was told that school would be closed for six weeks. John said right away that we would not be going back to school.  I wish he wasn't right.

2. What was the biggest change?

Definitely having the kids home doing on-line learning.  They were used to school.  I was used to them going to school.  They both liked school.  I liked them going to school.  They needed to be in school.  I needed them to be in school.  You get the idea.

3. What were your coping mechanisms?

Pretty early on, I figured out we needed to stick to a routine.  Once we knew for sure that they would not be going back to school, I told the kids we couldn't act like this was a vacation.  We got up at the same time we did when school was in session and they stuck to a schedule the entire school day.  Lynden Christian and their teachers did an AMAZING job of on-line teaching.  I hated it but we were so fortunate that the school was so prepared.   Also chocolate.  Chocolate was my coping mechanism.

4. What did connection in your relationships look like?

On the vert scale, I would consider myself to be way more introverted.  I like being at home and get kinda giddy when I see we have nothing planned for a weekend.  But it was too much.  I love my little family dearly but I missed other people.  I remember having Easter dinner with just my little family.  I tried to make it kinda special but it just felt wrong.  Some of my friends did a ZOOM session one morning but it took me forever to figure out how to log on and I pretty much hated it.  When the weather got nicer, I tried to invite friends over to sit outside and visit.  Some took me up on it and some didn't.  Luckily for Sam, his friend's parents seemed to be as laid back as his parents and from the beginning, him and his buddies started meeting in a church parking lot several times a week.  They would play Spikeball or frisbee or just hang out. This was a lifesaver for him.

5. What will you remember most?

Terrible sadness over so many people getting sick and not recovering but mostly of them having to die alone.   The great toilet paper shortage.  I am not an anxious person but I found myself growing anxious when I had to go shopping.  Not being able to find flour.  Flour?? Did everyone decide to take up baking since they were stuck inside?  Watching church in my pajamas eating a cinnamon roll.  Lot of Racko games with my kids. 

6. What was the biggest challenge?

Having Holly so far away.

7. What was a beautiful memory?

Playing lots and lots of games with my kids.  Nearly every day we would play board games or cards.  I loved it (I think they did too).

My funniest memory is John telling me that a lady tried scheduling a telemedicine appointment for her pap smear!  

8. What do you believe now that you didn't one year ago?

The media has a lot more power than I thought they did.  

9.What would you do differently?

Keep my mouth shut more often.  People have different views and opinions and I am not going to change their minds.  The virus was bad enough but the fact that it caused (and is still causing) so much division is really sad.    

10. What will you carry forward?

God always has been and always will be in control.  He's the biggest.  I have to give people a lot of grace and hope that they give me a lot of grace too.  And also, always have one of those big bales of Costco toilet paper on hand..just in case.

Happy Tuesday!

Sam and Katie returned to school today.  I feel like I should take myself out to lunch today to celebrate us all surviving our third quarantine together.

In other news...

Our backyard grass is coming in nicely.  

Katie's dahlias are popping up.

And my allium have bloomed.  

We got some patio furniture for the pavilion.  With this beautiful weather, we've been using it a lot.

I got this cool swing for Mother's Day.

And I got vaccinated.  The shot made me sicker than actually having COVID but at least I can go into Costso without a mask now.

Life Lately

Just a little peek at what's been happening at the Hiemstras.

Our backyard got all seeded and the grass is coming in nicely. 

The party barn's facelift continues.

After a delightful trip to the greenhouses with a good friend, I got my annuals planted.

We lost one of our owls.  We have loads of these Great Horned owls in our woods.  We hear them nearly every night in the Spring.  It's one of my favorite parts about living here.  Not sure what happened to this little guy.

Those big talons amaze me.  Also, fun fact.  These owls have 14 neck bones (twice as many as humans).

The weather has been so nice the last couple weeks.  Carly and I have really enjoyed our morning walks in the sunshine.

Sam and Katie both got the Rona.  Fortunately, they both had very mild symptoms.  They are doing on-line schooling this week and even though they don't like it, they are handling it well.  

I convinced John to clean out the North side of his shop last weekend.  Does anyone really need this many gas cans?

John's cousin and husband from Lynden is planning a big move (don't go guys!!!) so they are doing some serious house purging.  We are getting lots of pictures and cards that her mom had saved.  It's been fun getting these treasures.

John discovered an opossum nest in the woods.  The mama took off with her favorite babies on her back but left behind these cute guys.

Katie especially loved them.  No, we did not let her keep them as pets.

I have to admit though, they are really cute.  Nearly anything is cute when it's a baby.  Also, fun fact.  The opossum's closest cousin is the kangaroo (not the rat).

Finally, I had a great Mother's Day.  No pics with my kids since they were sick and not in the mood for taking pictures however they were nice to me all day anyway which is the best present anyway.

I have the best moms.  Very, very thankful for both of them.

Also, Happy (belated) birthday to my handsome dad!

Vegas with Holly

When your 24-year-old daughter calls and asks you to go to Vegas with her, you don't say no.

Actually, if I'm being honest, I'd go to Vegas with just about anyone.  I know it isn't for everyone but I really like it.  The flight that leaves from Bellingham and gets me there in two hours, the architecture, the amazing casino lobbies, the lack of children, so many restaurants to choose from, the sunshine, the amazing pools, and bestest of all...the people watching.  One of my favorite things to do on vacation is people watching and the people in Vegas are REALLY fun to watch.

Being in Vegas with Holly...super, extra fun.  We like to do the same things, she is easy-going, adventurous, and likes to sleep in.

She got us a GREAT room at the MGM Grand right on the strip.

It's the one with the big gold lion out front.

I am posting this next picture because number one,  it was such a good chickenburger.  It was called "The Double Clucker" and I was a big nervous ordering it because it had two ground chicken patties on it.  Now I don't know about you, but ground chicken makes me nervous but it was SOOOOOO delicious. And number two, I have no shame.

Holly and I highly recommend eating at "The Cracked Shack" when you are in Vegas.  Not only are the chicken burgers really good, but they have seating that faces the Strip so you can people watch while you eat.

The first night there we just walked around and took in the lights.

We found CHOCOLATE WORLD!!  This was new since I had been there last and it was pretty cool.  

 One of my favorite books growing up was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".  I love the movie too (the original one, not the freaky Johnny Depp one).  I used to have dreams about falling into a river of chocolate and they were good dreams.  This is a little strange because I think the movie was trying to make it scary.

I located these rather bad images off the internet and I am realizing that the chocolate river actually looks like sewage water.  

Anyway, I digress.  Hershey Chocolate World had no chocolate river to swim in but it did have lots and lots of chocolate and this giant package of Twizzlers.

And I should have bought this shirt.

The next morning, we headed down to the pool.  And we did this..

pretty much all day long.  When we got super hungry, we went back up to the room, cleaned up and then hit the strip again. 

Mexican for supper. 

Checking out some casinos.

These are inside the Wynn.

And these are inside the Venetian.  When I went to Vegas with my mom and sister way back in 2009, we stayed here.  I think it's my favorite.  I actually like the hotel better than Italy.  That's not true...but sort of is.

We watched the Mirage volcano show and the Bellagio water show on the way back to our hotel.  

And ended the night with a milkshake.

The next morning, we did more exploring.

We saw the flamingos at the Flamingo.

And then went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

Just because he made a horrible Willy Wonka doesn't mean I don't like him.

Holly had no idea who this was but she got really excited when she read he did a voice in the movie "Cars". 

One of my favorites.

Him too.

And these guys.

I made her take this one for her Gramma.  

And these for her siblings who love Marvel.

We slowly made our way back to the hotel, stopping to check out more casinos.

Split some fish and chips.

Spent the rest of the afternoon by the lazy river.

There were five pools and a lazy river at our hotel.  For some reason, the lazy river closed an hour before the pools so we had to move locations.  

Went to New York, New York for pizza and split a strawberry daiquiri slushie served in a GUITAR glass (that's for John who has a dirty mind).

I insisted on walking around with it....just because you can.

Our last day we took the double decker bus to the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.  Actually, we had a little bus mix-up and ended up back at the transit station but we eventually got there.  The line was really long so we just took one from the side.

We walked back to the strip.

That's out hotel.  We discovered our room would have been somewhere on David Copperfield's head.

Holly found a pretzel stand.

Some guys were out polishing our lion.

Hey look! We're back at the pool!

Since it was our last night, we got all gussied up and tried to have a cosmopolitan at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan.  Unfortunately for us, the wait was too long and we had dinner reservations we had to make.  Stupid Covid and limited capacity in bars.  I was so disappointed that I didn't even take a picture of it.

We walked through the Bellagio gardens.

And saw the cool Chihuly glass ceiling in the lobby.

And made it out just in time to catch the water show again.

Holly's flight left early the next morning.  The only good part about having to get to the airport early is that we got to sit at the front of the top of the double decker bus.

Holly, 

Thank you so much for an amazing girl's trip.  It is not lost on me how neat it is that you still think I am cool enough to take to Vegas.  I loved every minute of it...even when you spilled my expensive Cheese-Its by the pool.  Thank you that you are not too cool to join me in eating them anyway.  I look forward to many more mother/daughter trips with you (and eventually Katie when we decide she can handle us).  Love you so much.

Mom